Practicing, and Teaching, the Art of Photography

Owen Kassimir picked up on the benefits of trial-by-error at a young age.

"I got a camera when I was about 10 from my grandfather, and that was good," says Kassimir, owner and founder of Owen Photography, "but it didn't have any instruction books, so I just started playing around with it."

He learned how to use the camera on his own, and it became a favorite hobby. When he went off to college years later, he decided to pursue photography as a career. After graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Kassimir began working in commercial photography, but found he "didn't love it."  

"'Here... make this pen look good,'" he says with a grin, pushing a ballpoint pen to the center of his desk, demonstrating how he viewed commercial photography. "But I found an avenue that I liked," he continues, "and quickly switched over to the weddings and portraits business, dealing with people all the time.

"I got into it and loved it," he says. "I opened my own studio and here we are today, too many years later." He remained at his first studio in Great Neck for eight years before moving to his current location at 45 Jackson Ave. 16 years ago.

In 1996, Kassimir also diversified into doing on-site imaging at events, where the development of portable equipment allowed the production of photographic quality prints with a custom background in minutes, away from a studio.

"Nobody had ever seen it before that," he says, "and now it's so fast we can print it and you can have it before you walk away."

He has used that technology at prestigious events, including a series of fundraising receptions for then-Gov. George Pataki. He also participated in the famous Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn.

"We did that for several years when Clinton was president," he recalls. "We went and took pictures on the lawn of families, printed them out and gave them to them. It was a fun thing."

But as much power and potential as digital photography has brought in terms of speed, portability and photo-editing capabilities, it has also been somewhat of a double-edged sword.

"Today you can just get a camera and say you're a pro, and not know anything," Kassimir says. "And to some people, point and shoot–flash on camera–is good enough."

But there are many factors that contribute to achieving a truly superior photograph.

"Lighting, exposure, composition... bringing in second, third, fourth and even fifth lights," he says. "It's still taught, but people don't know how to do it."

To that end, Kassimir is a big believer in education. "I go to a lot of classes and conventions just to keep up on developments," he says, "and I teach photography–portraits, lighting, digital imaging."

His business is mostly weddings and bar mitzvahs, allowing him to connect with others.

"I like dealing with people. Every party is different," he concludes. "It's a fun industry if you're working with the right clients."

For more information, visit www.owenphotography.com